‘Katha Yatra’, aims at a research-based understanding of river Brahmaputra, which traverses through the floodplains of Assam. The impressions and understandings of art, culture, identity, development, the hopes and aspirations of the people inhabiting the banks of the Brahmaputra, is intended to be encapsulated in the project, which is part documentation and part re-imagination of the cultural, identity and environmental landscape of the river. The tools and medium employed in this project will be field-based research work, video, photography, art, stage, print and radio, which will attempt at capturing and showcasing the unifying role that the river plays in the lives of the people inhabiting its banks, the meaning of the meandering flows of the river for people.The geographical area covered in project stretches from Parashuram Kund in Arunachal pradesh to Kaziranga in Assam.
If you would like to support us through donations or be a part of our Katha Yatra project contact us at bcfindia13@gmail.com or ring us at +91 84730-65404.
‘Majuli’ is a physical theatre solo work by Shilpika Bordoloi. The performance represents the true spirit of the river island ‘Majuli’ on the course of the river Brahmaputra, in Assam. The work is in part about the social, cultural and spiritual life of the people living in Majuli and partly about the many qualities of the river and water. Through the medium of Physical Theatre the aspects of movement, voice, light, music, costume and set design amalgamate to share the story of Majuli and the river Brahmaputra.
Majuli is an attempt to bring forward this story of reconciliation and adaptive spirit of its people along with the flows of the river. The meandering character of the river and its cycle of give and take will now undergo rapid changes with proposals of massive hydroelectric power projects and other infrastructure projects. The cycle of the often quiet, often raging river has innumerable stories of resilience of people-river interactions, which needs to inform the winds of change; for the changes to be sustainable to the spirit of the people and the river.
CREDITS:
Choreography/performance: Shilpika Bordoloi
Movement Dramaturge: Michel Casanovas
Musicians: Mukunda Madhab Bora, Ananta Bora and Paramananda Kakoti Borbayan
Light Design: Ronal Hussain
Set Design: Manish Kansara
Costume: Tanmay Gupta and ‘Bird’by Vivan Sundaram from Gagawaka
Images: Kamal Musale
Production Co-ordinator: Ranjan Dutta
SUPPORTED BY:
Ministry of Culture, Government of India and India Foundation for the Arts.
So far…
Proscenium Premiere:
21st February 2014: Shri Ram Centre, New Delhi
25th February 2014: Rangashankara, Bangalore
5th March 2014: Rabindra Bhawan, Guwahati
Site-specific Premiere:
6th March 2014: Guwahati, Assam onboard a floating bamboo raft created by Artist-initiator Indrani Baruah.
18th September 2014: Festival: “Contemporary Arts Week”, New Delhi
17th December 2014: Festival: “Under the Sal Tree”, Badungduppa, Assam
20th December 2014: Shoonya, Bangalore
28th December 2014: Festival: “Ekaharya Theatre Festival”, Cochin, Kerala
25th January 2015: site specific at Prakritheeyam, Trivandrum, Kerala
29th January 2015: Festival: “WIWA Theatre Festival”, Trivandrum, Kerala
9th February 2015: Festival: “Attakkalari Biennial”, Bangalore
10th August 2016: Festival: Sangeet Natak Academy, Guwahati
January 2017: Festival: Brahmaputra Literary Festival, Guwahati
May 2017: District Library, Jorhat
August 2017 – Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Edinburgh.
February 2018 – National Mime Festival, Imphal, Manipur.
Research of “Harmony of Assam” (work in progress title) and show in Majuli.BCF initiates “Katha Yatra III” with the ceremony “Sur Laharir Asandhya” where some important musical instruments like Doba, Xankha, Khol, Tal, Nagara, Charinja, Bahi, Dotara, Ektal, Ananda Lahori, Chehnayi, Bin etc. are played by local artists, and two specially invited artists from Jorhat named Mr. Mukunda Madhab Bora and Mr. Anata Bora.
Title: Nature of Nescience, Length: 3:50 minutes
This film is an exploration of the magic, mysticism and mystery of Majuli woven around memories and impressions of the mind’s eye.